Aija Draguns is a Sydney-based emerging composer and conductor. Her compositions draw inspiration from her Latvian heritage, particularly the folk and choral traditions.
She studied piano, saxophone and singing before attending the Sydney Conservatorium of Music to pursue composition. Aija holds a Bachelor of Music and an Honours degree and is currently completing her Master’s studies, specialising in language in vocal composition under Paul Stanhope.
Her works have been programmed by ensembles such as The Australian Voices, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and Orchestra, the National Youth Choir of Australia, Sydney Chamber Choir, the Melbourne Trinity College Choir and various ensembles across the country.
In addition to teaching music theory at the University of Sydney, Aija is an emerging orchestral and choral conductor. She regularly leads ensembles across Sydney, including the Leichhardt Espresso Chorus and the Sydney Latvian Male Choir: the longest-running Latvian male diaspora choir in the world.
In 2021, she was awarded the Ensemble Apex Conducting Fellowship. The following year, she received the Create NSW Conducting Fellowship with the Sydney Youth Orchestras (2022–23) and continues to work with various community and tertiary ensembles around Sydney. In 2023, she premiered her first full orchestral program with the Woollahra Philharmonic Orchestra, conducting works by Kodály, Mozart, and Schubert. In 2024, she participated in conductor training programs with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra under Benjamin Northey and Jessica Cottis.
Aija has also been mentored by various conductors including Elizabeth Scott, Zahia Ziouani, Kira Omelchenko, Fabian Russell, Ivars Cinkuss, John Lynch and Brett Weymark. She was selected for the 2025 Australian Conducting Academy, where she trained with state orchestras across the country.
Most recently, she premiered and conducted her new opera In Cosmic Utero at NIDA’s Parade Theatre, in collaboration with director Lindy Hume. For her, composing and conducting go hand-in-hand, offering unique insights into each artform – insights she hopes to share with her players, singers and audiences.